"Oh, if you would be so kind," she said in a delightfully soft voice. "I do not wish to speak with these men. If you could send them away—right away——"
"Why, of course," replied Tony with his most cheerful smile, "please don't distress yourself."
He turned to the two sallow-faced strangers who seemed to have been utterly disconcerted by his sudden appearance on the scene.
"Go away," he said, "and hurry up about it."
CHAPTER IV
LIKE A FAIRY STORY
There was a short pause, and then the shorter of the two men stepped forward. He was an aggressive looking person with a cast in his eye, and he spoke with a slight foreign accent.
"Sir," he said, "you are making a mistake. We do not intend any insult to this lady. We are indeed her best friends. If you will be good enough to withdraw——"
With the gleam of battle in his eye, Bugg ranged up alongside the speaker, and tapped him on the elbow.
"'Ere!" he observed. "You 'eard wot the guv'nor said, didn't you?" He jerked his thumb over his left shoulder. "'Op it before you get 'urt."